Cartridge and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A cartridge attachable to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, the apparatus main body having a restricting portion and to which the cartridge is mounted by being moved from a unmounted position to a mounting-completed position in a first direction, the cartridge includes a developer container provided with a supply port, and a shutter movable between an opening position for opening the supply port and a closing position for closing the supply port, having a restricted portion, and configured to be in the closing position when the cartridge is in the unmounted position and be in the opening position when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position, wherein a movement of the shutter in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion and the restricted portion when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cartridge attachable to and detachable from an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, the apparatus main body having a restricting portion and to which the cartridge is mounted by being moved from an unmounted position to a mounting-completed position in a first direction, the cartridge comprising:
 a developer container which houses a developer and provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the apparatus main body; and 
 a shutter configured to be movable, with respect to the developer container, between an opening position for opening the supply port and a closing position for closing the supply port, the shutter having a restricted portion and being configured to be in the closing position when the cartridge is in the unmounted position and be in the opening position when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position, 
 wherein a movement of the shutter in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion of the apparatus main body and the restricted portion when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position. 
 
     
     
       2. The cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a movement of the shutter in the first direction with respect to the apparatus main body is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion of the apparatus main body and the restricted portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The cartridge according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the shutter has a communication hole, and the communication hole is configured to communicate with the supply port when the shutter is in the opening position and not to communicate with the supply port when the shutter is in the closing position. 
 
     
     
       4. The cartridge according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the apparatus main body has a receiving port for receiving a toner from the cartridge, and 
 wherein the communication hole is configured not to communicate with the receiving port when the cartridge is in the unmounting position and communicate with the receiving port when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position. 
 
     
     
       5. The cartridge according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein a movement direction of the shutter between the opening position and the closing position is a direction along with the first direction, and 
 wherein the shutter is assembled with respect to the developer container so as to have play in the second direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the supply port and the communication hole overlap with each other in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction when the developer container is at the mounting-completed position, 
 wherein the communication hole is smaller than the supply port, and 
 wherein the supply port has a size that enables communication with the receiving port via the communication hole to be maintained regardless of a size of the play. 
 
     
     
       7. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the restricted portion includes a first contact portion that comes into contact with the restricting portion in a first orientation in the second direction and a second contact portion that comes into contact with the restricting portion in a second orientation that is opposite to the first orientation in the second direction. 
 
     
     
       8. The cartridge according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are arranged on a first side in the second direction with respect to the communication hole. 
 
     
     
       9. The cartridge according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first contact portion is arranged on a first side in the second direction with respect to the communication hole, and 
 wherein the second contact portion is arranged on a second side that is opposite to the first side in the second direction with respect to the communication hole. 
 
     
     
       10. The cartridge according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the first direction overlap with a position of the communication hole in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       11. The cartridge according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are arranged at positions that are displaced in the first direction with respect to the communication hole. 
 
     
     
       12. The cartridge according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein a position of the restricted portion in the second direction approximately matches a position of the communication hole in the second direction. 
 
     
     
       13. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the shutter includes a plurality of restricted portions in correspond with a plurality of restricting portions which are provided on the apparatus main body. 
 
     
     
       14. The cartridge according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the plurality of restricted portions include a restricted portion that is arranged on a first side of the communication hole and a restricted portion that is arranged on a second side of the communication hole in the second direction. 
 
     
     
       15. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the restricted portion is configured in a concave shape into which the restricting portion with a convex shape is inserted in a direction opposed to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       16. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein when the developer container moves from the unmounted position toward the mounting-completed position, the shutter relatively moves with respect to the developer container as the restricted portion engages with the restricting portion and the shutter changes from the closing position to the opening position. 
 
     
     
       17. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the supply port first overlaps with the receiving port when the restricted portion engages with the restricting portion and, subsequently, also overlaps with the supply port when the developer container reaches the mounting-completed position to connect the supply port with the receiving port. 
 
     
     
       18. The cartridge according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the communication hole is designated as a first communication hole, 
 wherein the developer container includes an elastic member which is provided so as to be slidable with respect to the shutter between the developer container and the shutter and which includes a second communication hole that connects the first communication hole with the supply port when the shutter is in the opening position, and 
 wherein the second communication hole is smaller than the supply port but larger than the first communication hole. 
 
     
     
       19. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an apparatus main body including an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording material using a developer and a receiving port for receiving replenishment of the developer; and 
 a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body, 
 the apparatus main body having a restricting portion and to which the cartridge is mounted by being moved from an unmounted position to a mounting-completed position in a first direction, 
 the cartridge comprising: 
 a developer container which houses a developer and provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the apparatus main body; and 
 a shutter configured to be movable, with respect to the developer container, between an opening position for opening the supply port and a closing position for closing the supply port, the shutter having a restricted portion and being configured to be in the closing position when the cartridge is in the unmounted position and be in the opening position when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position, 
 wherein a movement of the shutter in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion of the apparatus main body and the restricted portion when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position. 
 
     
     
       20. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein a movement of the shutter in the first direction with respect to the apparatus main body is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion of the apparatus main body and the restricted portion. 
 
     
     
       21. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the shutter has a communication hole, and the communication hole is configured to communicate with the supply port when the shutter is in the opening position and not to communicate with the supply port when the shutter is in the closing position. 
 
     
     
       22. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the communication hole is configured to not to communicate with the receiving port when the cartridge is in the unmounting position and communicate with the receiving port when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position. 
 
     
     
       23. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the shutter is designated as a first shutter, 
 wherein the apparatus main body includes: 
 a developer receiving portion which is provided with the receiving port and which receives a developer via the receiving port; and 
 a second shutter which is assembled so as to be relatively movable with respect to the developer receiving portion so as to open and close the receiving port, and 
 wherein the second shutter is pressed by the developer container and relatively moves with respect to the developer receiving portion to change from a closing position where the receiving port is closed to an opening position where the receiving port is exposed as the developer container moves from the unmounted position toward the mounting-completed position. 
 
     
     
       24. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 23 ,
 wherein before the supply port of the developer container overlaps with the communication hole of the first shutter and becomes exposed, the second shutter moves to the opening position and exposes the receiving port of the developer receiving portion. 
 
     
     
       25. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 23 ,
 wherein the communication hole of the first shutter is designated as a first communication hole, 
 wherein the developer receiving portion includes a second elastic member which is provided so as to be slidable with respect to the second shutter between the developer receiving portion and the second shutter and which includes a third communication hole that connects the first communication hole with the receiving port when the second shutter is in the opening position and, at the same time, the first shutter is in the opening position, and 
 wherein the third communication hole is larger than the receiving port and the first communication hole.